Soft and Chewy Small Batch Sugar Cookies
Drop-style soft and chewy small batch sugar cookies with crisp, sugar-crackled edges and tender, buttery centers. The one-bowl, no-chill dough features a hint of almond extract to round out the vanilla, and the small batch of six cookies is ready in under 30 minutes.
Servings: 6 Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar plus more for optional rolling
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract optional
- ½ cup, plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the butter, sugar, and salt. Use a hand mixer to mix on medium-high speed until combined — about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Add in the egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extract (if using) and mix until combined for another 15 to 20 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.1 large egg yolk, room temperature, 3/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
- Sprinkle the flour, baking powder, and baking soda over the wet ingredients. Mix on low until combined and no flour streaks remain. The dough will be crumbly. Use a spatula to form it into a dough ball.1/2 cup, plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- Use a medium cookie scoop to portion the dough into 6 equal dough balls. The cookie scoop will be generously filled. Roll the dough balls between your hand to smooth them out. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Optional - Roll the dough balls through the granulated sugar, and return them to the baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden and the centers still look soft and cracked. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet set on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes, then transfer them to the rack to cool completely.
For perfectly round cookies, as soon as they come out of the oven, swirl them around the inside of a larger, round cookie cutter.
Notes
- Serving Size - The small batch recipe can be doubled by using a whole egg vs. two egg yolks.
- Sprinkles - For holiday cookies, roll the cookie dough balls through colored sanding sugar or sprinkles before baking.
- Almond Flavor - The almond extract adds another light layer of flavor to the cookies (bakeries often use it). It is optional.
- Make Ahead Dough - The dough can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature to shape into the dough balls and bake. In testing, the cookies did not flatten or spread when the dough was too cold.
- Freezing the Dough - Roll the dough into balls and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, set them on a prepared baking sheet at room temperature while the oven preheats.